Trying to catch up..November and Early December....

If I have learned something about delaying blogging for a long time, it's that I'm overwhelmed with knowing where to start, what to include, etc. But in honor of those of you who are STARVED for some news of your little friend, Cindy, I will toss you a few tidbits(please note the heavy emphasis on sarcasm!)

If I remember correctly, I believe I left off at the end of October. It's not that November and December have been boring. Oh no, my friend. Anything but. So I have used that as a good excuse to make very quick blog checks, but not attempt any blogging of my own. In early November, my cousin Steve and I accompanied our friend LaDonna to Clifty Falls State Park, near Madison, Indiana. At that time of year, the falls were only a trickle, but we had a great time anyway. We made a day of it, and Steve and I were completely exhausted. Not so with LaDonna, but I am trying not to be bitter! She decided that we should get off the beaten path, and take a "short-cut" down about a 90 foot hill. I had some reservations before we started down, but once you're going, well, there's no turning back! The path was covered with rock and thick layers of leaves, so you couldn't always tell where you were placing your foot. After falling hard about 3 times, I decided to scoot down the rest of the way on my back-side. The only reason I wasn't injured in the falls was that I was wearing several layers of clothing, and God was protecting us! Steve was ahead of me, and told me "I'm trying to stay far enough away to give you your privacy, yet close enough to help you if you get hurt." Thank God for such a sweet cousin! There was several times that the back of my skirt was behind my head and neck :) I was so concerned for my life, that I was past caring by the time we reached the bottom of the hill. I believe we hiked about 5 miles that day, through very rugged terrain! LaDonna slowed down some as a favor to us old folks! But we got some good pictures, and had a great time. Steve and I were very sore and stiff for a few days :) But we were still alive, and thankful to be alive! We ended up the day at Chili's in Seymour, and Steve bought our supper. Again..what a sweetheart!



So there you have a very brief overview of Clifty Falls! Most of the rest of November was spent feverishly getting ready for the school Christmas program. I thought I would lose my mind, and I'm sure my students thought the same before it was over. But of course, before the program, Thanksgiving made it's appearance in my life. The entire Matlock side of the clan gathered at my Aunt Charlotte's and Uncle Joe's house for a day of feasting, fun, and games. My Grandma(Nana) Matlock was the only one not in attendance that day, as she was in the hospital, after suffering a bad fall. But we still had a great day. The food was incredible, as always! I didn't eat as much as usual, but still felt ill that night. Overeating is just sometimes so not worth it. But it was great fun while eating! And then out came the coffee pots(yes, you read that right, pots as in plural,) and the games began. We walked across the drive to Susanne's house, and spend the rest of the afternoon/evening there. We played Rook and Outburst, the Bible version of that. We had a blast as usual.


Oh, and btw, that is NOT a cigar hanging out of Steve's mouth! It's a piece of venison jerky :) He was really getting into the spirit of things, as you can probably tell!

Also in November, my baby Snickers had his first birthday! Here are a couple pics of him close to his birthday, just in case you wanted to see how cute he is!





Well, I THINK that pretty well takes care of most of November. Some of you know that my grandmother was placed in a nursing home the day after Thanksgiving. She is about 4 miles from our home, and is there for rehab. She has adjusted remarkably well, and actually seems to like it there! She was bedfast after her last fall, so has been undergoing intensive rehab. She is now able to walk with a walker with some assistance. I'm not sure when she will be home. She had several really bad days, when we thought she might not live out the week in early December. She was hallucinating and talking to her dead siblings like they were in the room. She also did not recognize us part of the time. She wouldn't eat unless we spoon-fed her, and then she would say she couldn't swallow. Her weight dropped dramatically, and so they decided to place her on something to stimulate her appetite. And believe me, it's working! She is eating very well, and seems to actually enjoy her food again for the first time in several years! She has regained the weight she lost and then some. Fortunately, she has no recollection of the days she was so confused. I was sitting on the end of her bed one evening, and asked her what my name was. She studied me intently for awhile, and then said "I can never remember if they call you John, or Willard. Or William." It's funny now, but that made me so sad. So I've been getting called "Willard" a good bit :) I don't know if I'm really so ugly that she thought I was a guy, or if I was having a really bad hair day. It didn't do much for my self-esteem, let me tell ya! How would some of you guys like to be called "Esther" or "Sue?" It's very disconcerting.

On December 8th, we had our school Christmas program. The day started off with a 2 hour delay due to freezing rain. So my stress level, already being pretty high, became higher yet. And the kids were WOUND UP! To say the least. We had intended to spend the entire morning practicing, and then just hit the highlights in the afternoon. But due to that change in schedule, we only practiced band in the morning, and then the entire production in the afternoon. We started band practice with a bang. The younger kids did fine in beginning band. They were pretty attentive, and ready to listen for instructions. Not so with the intermediate band. They started right out hyper, giggling, and not wanting to listen to anything I had to say. I told them "Guys, I'm not in the mood for this today." And I was extremely close to tears, maybe even an emotional melt-down. Yikes! Well, Mr. Crosley overheard me. He marched to the front of the sanctuary, where it was now VERY quiet. In fact, you could've heard a pin drop. He then very sternly lectured them, and told them if there was ANY trouble out of them, that they could forget the scheduled 2-hour delay the next day. Instead, they would be coming in at 8am, and HE would be there with them. They would do more work than normal, and he would not be a happy man to be there that early. Needless to say, they were as good as gold the rest of the day :) Thank God for a principle that cares enough to back me up! And then came the program that evening. After countless hours of practice, rehearsal, steaming costumes, making props...it was over in an hour and a half. Unbelieveable! It went relatively well. The only major hitch was that 2 of my intermediate band kids came to the platform without their music, because they COULDN'T FIND IT ANYWHERE! About 15 minutes before the program started, I talked to the entire group and told them to make sure they had their music and their instrument on their person. Ha! I sent them off the platform, while the audience waited, but they never did find their music. So it ended up with 3 violins and 1 flute sharing one music stand and one piece of music! I hope they have learned a valuable lesson, but I rather doubt it. I am now well-acquainted with 10th grade boys. Lol. But all the kids did great. I couldn't have been any prouder if they belonged to me! The bands played well, the kids drama was amazing, and the junior high/high school choir was incredible! So I will post a few pics. If you think I'm wearing an angel costume, you might be right. I was directing the angel choir in Heaven as they prepared to announce the birth of Christ!











I probably should mention that the kindergarten class made incredible sheep! Again, all the kids worked their hearts out, and this old-maid teacher was very proud of them. Unfortunately, with all the conducting I've been doing lately, I've had to see the chiropractor twice about my right shoulder. It's been almost frozen at times, and so painful. He worked it over hard enough to almost make me cry. But I'm surviving. That's kinda the story of my life sometimes. When I get really down, sometimes I pray "God, just help me survive." And somehow He always does. I'm not sure how many Christmas programs I have left in me, to be honest. Maybe it's because I've done 2 the last 2 Decembers. The school and the church adult choir. By the time it's all over, I feel so exhausted that it's hard to be in the Christmas spirit. I hate that feeling of approaching December with great dread, and wishing for it to be over quickly. I never felt that way in the past, back when my main responsibilities were shopping, baking cookies, working, etc. But this year, I didn't even start shopping until the week before Christmas, which is also when I half-heartedly signed cards. I didn't wrap anything until a couple days before Christmas. So it was really Christmas week before I got much into the spirit of things. But the story of the rest of December, and my Christmas is best left for another day. It's after 11pm here in Indiana, and 2009 is rapidly approaching. I hope you're not as tired reading this as I have been writing it! I really should post more often, and save myself a little grief. I will try to do the rest of my catching up soon, maybe even tomorrow.

Right now, I'm going to prepare to see in the new year. As is my usual around the holidays, I have been a bit blue, discouraged, melancholy, whatever you want to call it here lately. Don't be too alarmed, it was this way last year too. At least I'm predictable :) I was just going to say that I value my friends and family very highly, and I don't want to imagine my life without you. Let's please hold each other up in prayer as the new year begins, that God will help us to be what He wants us to be in the coming months. I know He has promised to be my strength when all I have to offer is weakness. He has promised to be my friend and companion when I have noone else. He has promised to never leave me or forsake me. Abandonment and rejection are ugly things, but they are not part of who God is. And I'm thankful that He loves me. Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas

Now before you get real excited that I'm posting a blog, this is merely to wish all my friends a very Merry Christmas! My Christmas programs are over, I have been on vacation, and my stress level is pretty much nil :) So now I'm able to get into the Christmas spirit, which is a good thing as we still have some cleaning and baking to do! And no, Mark B., my name is not Martha! Last week I was able to get my shopping done in Lancaster, Pa, and now the gifts are wrapped and under the tree. Hallelujah! I really will try to post a blog soon, and let you know about the Christmas programs, vacation, etc. But Christmas Eve is hardly the time :) So, before I get to work, just want to tell you how much you all mean to me. Thanks for being a special part of my life! During this extremely busy season, it's so easy to lose sight of what Christmas really means. May the Lord help us to keep our focus on Him..not the gifts, not the food, not anything else. For without Him, there would be no Christmas. Of course, without Christmas, there would have been no Cross, and no Easter. And without the Cross, no redemption for mankind; without the resurrection, no hope. So that makes me extra grateful for the meaning of Christmas!

"Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ." Galations 4:3-7

Love to all, and Merry Christmas!

Yep, still alive and kickin'

Just a quick note to let you know that I am indeed still in the land of the living, lest you be unduly worried :) I am very aware of how long it's been since I've blogged...but I can't take the time for a big newsy post most days. Plus I need to download some pictures from my camera, and that takes a bit of time as well. So that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it..haha.

Just to let you know about a little of my busyness....our school Christmas program is a little over a week away. So I am staying pretty crazy with stuff that needs to be done. Next week promises to be pretty incredible, so I would very much appreciate your prayers. There are costumes to be steamed, sets to be put up, programs to be written, etc, etc. It feels a little overwhelming, sometimes a lot overwhelming. But I know God is faithful, and He will help us get it all pulled together. Also, my grandmother has been quite sick with bronchitis, which sounds more like pneumonia. On Sunday night, I found her in the floor at 12:30am. My puppy "just happened" to need to go to the bathroom, so I took him downstairs and heard her. Actually, I believe God had a big hand in it, as she would have laid there 6-7 more hours before being found if Snickers hadn't wanted up. We don't know how long she was down, and she has no concept of time. But we took her to the hospital, and they kept her. She just isn't safe to be at home right now, due to her profound weakness and us not being able to watch her 24/7. She will be going to a nursing home tomorrow for rehab. Hopefully this will be a short-term arrangement, and then we can hire night-time help for when she gets to come home. Honestly, I'm not sure how much longer she will be with us. Please remember my family in prayer during this difficult time.

Well, I must go. I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

October Musings

Ok, people. I am well aware that a blog post is long overdue. Believe me, I have been feeling the pressure! Lol...not that I would ever succumb to any pressure :)Now that we're all finished chuckling, here goes.

As promised, here is a picture of the SWEET rental car I had for one week. I didn't have it long enough to name it, but still, I loved that car! 2008 Dodge Charger, Dark Blue. Oh yeah!


Still, I am glad to have Nellie back, and operational. I hope she stays that way for many years to come! I am a bit discouraged with the gas mileage she gets...right at 17 mpg! C'mon Nellie! Ya gotta do better than that! At least gas prices aren't quite as high as they were.

As some of you know, I celebrated my birthday on October 16th. Thanks for all the well-wishes that I received from many of you. I decided to take a trip to Pennsylvania for my birthday, so I was able to buy my plane ticket with birthday money! I flew out October 15th, and came home October 19th. I had a wonderful trip! It was nice to be away from the routine for awhile, and especially nice to celebrate my special day with special friends. Mark picked me up from the airport, and treated me to supper before taking me to Fred and Elizabeth's home. On Thursday, which was my birthday, Mark took Elizabeth and I to Lancaster County, Pa. First, we went to the Choo-choo Barn in Strasburg, Pa. I absolutely loved it there! I have always been a real fan of doll houses, and miniture stuff, even railroads. So it was a special treat for me. It is a huge room, full of trains that run, homes and business that are lit up, etc. It is so cool! There is even a home that catches fire, and the firemen come and put out the fire. I have truly never seen anything quite like it. We spent a good deal of time there, and you see something different every time you look at it. If you ever get the chance to go, I highly recommend it! We also stopped at a unique shop called The Outhouse. It is full of funny stuff, and we enjoyed our visit there, despite my being squirted in the head with water! The lady at the fudge counter thought she was too funny. Even though she squirted me with water, I did buy some Tiger Butter fudge from her, and it was scrumptious! We then proceeded to the Shady Maple and ate our fill from this delicious Amish Buffet. I got to eat for free since it was my birthday. We then stopped at the Kitchen Kettle Village and did some shopping at these unique shops. I bought some rhubarb jam for my friends and family, and we are really enjoying it! I haven't gotten into the cherry jam yet :) I want to go back around Christmas time and spend more time at these shops. What a fun place! Afterwards, we hit the outlets in Lancaster, and that was fun as well! On the way home, Mark stopped near the Capital building in Harrisburg, and we got some pictures of this beautiful building at night. Here are a few pics from my birthday.




On Friday, Elizabeth and I spent quite a lot of time cleaning her house, as she was hosting extra company that night. They had a Penn View Service at their church, and were responsible for putting up 5 extra people. So we cleaned the house, and the church. PVBI did a really good job, and we enjoyed their fellowship that evening, even though we were tired enough to drop in our tracks :)

On Saturday, Mark picked me up and we went to Gettysburg. Fred and Elizabeth met us there and we spent part of the day together. We spent a good deal of time in an art gallery, where someone(names are withheld to protect the innocent) spent some money on civil war art prints. I have to admit that it was a very good deal, as they were 75% off! I just had to give this individual a hard time, as I know he reads my blog :) We then walked to Friendly's where we enjoyed a very good lunch, topped off with some awesome ice cream! Afterwards, we drove around a bit on the battlefield, and took some pictures on Little Round Top. We visited the new visitor's center, but didn't spend much time there, as all the tickets had been sold for the day to various attractions there. We also went to Boyd's Bears, where Mark bought me a very sweet bear for my birthday. Her name is Mrs. Appleton, and she is completely adorable!


AFter Fred and Elizabeth went home, Mark took me to The Dobbin House in Gettysburg. No, we didn't eat there, but it was a station for the Underground Railroad during the Civil War. There is a little museum there that you can tour for free. That was really neat. I had never been in there before. Then we took in the Gettysburg Outlets, and I was able to find a sweet little outfit for Fred and Elizabeth's baby that is due in December.

On Sunday, I enjoyed attending church with my friends, and listening to Fred preach. I played the organ for the service..didn't want to get rusty on my musical skills while away from home :) After church, Mark and I enjoyed a delicious dinner with Fred and Elizabeth, and then Mark took me back to the airport. I was sad to go, but duty calls. My flights were smooth and unremarkable. The only fly in the ointment was a 3.5 hour layover in Detroit. But I had the newest Karen Kingsbury book, so the time passed pretty quickly. Dad picked me up at the airport in Indianapolis, and we got home a little after 12 midnight.

Last week, it was school/work as normal, but I was so tired I could hardly function at times. I thought maybe it was just from my trip, but then realized yesterday that I had come down with a terrible cold. I have felt miserable for the past couple of days. Not that you care, but still, I need to whine to somebody. My head is stuffy, my nose is runny, my eyes are watery, and my appetite is poor. So there...you've heard my complaints. I'm sitting here blogging in my robe. Unfortunately, I had to answer the door a minute ago in my robe! It was the neighbor boy, selling popcorn. So I bought some and apologized for my appearance. I think I'll curl up with some hot tea here in a bit, and maybe that will help set me to rights. As will the Nyquil that I live on when I'm ill.

Prior to my trip east, my family celebrated my birthday the weekend before. We grilled out( the weather was still nice at that time) and had birthday cake. Here is a picture of me with my nephews and niece. The were a little wound up, and I was tired from working at the hospital all day, but here you go.


Other than getting another year older, I have been staying busy with school. We are full-force into Christmas program stuff already. In fact, the program is 6 weeks from right now! Yikes! So we are busy learning lines and songs, talking about props and costumes, etc. I am also working with both bands on Christmas music, and with the Jr. High/Sr. High Choir. That is a daunting task, let me tell you. Some of the kids can sing really well, and then there's the others. I'm not sure that they're all going to get it, but we're certainly going to make a joyful noise :) May the Lord help me. The chime choir is also preparing their Christmas piece, and it looks to be fairly promising. I have most of my piano students busy with Christmas music as well. I know it seems a bit early, but I like for them to have plenty of songs they can play for the season.

My grandmother who lives with us has been quite ill the last couple of weeks. She has been in and out of the hospital, and required a pacemaker shortly before my trip to Pa. She is home now, but very weak. We have home health care coming in and helping with her bathing and with physical therapy. But we are unable to leave her alone now due to her extreme weakness. She is more often than not unable to get out of a chair unassisted. She does have a lift chair now, so this helps, but not with meals. My uncle Joe sat with her yesterday so that we could all attend church as a family. This week is revival, but I know we are going to have to miss out on part of it, due to not being able to leave her. The therapist feels that she can regain her strength, but we are not real optimistic at this point. If you think about it, please remember my family in prayer at this time. It's very difficult to see her like this, and to realize that she is suffering physically and mentally.

Well, I'm sure there are things I've forgotten to include in this blog. When one blogs only periodically, it is a sure thing to forget something. But I hope I have given you enough to satisfy you, and keep the blog police at bay. So for now, ta ta :)

Ode to Nellie

Well, I have said it before. And I'll say it again. Occasionally there are SOME people that enjoy provoking me to blog. I received an e-mail today that could almost qualify as blackmail...basically forcing me into blogging. Not that there are any listed consequences, but still, it does cause one to pause and wonder. I was going to wait until I had pictures to go with the poem, but I feel the urgency of the e-mail. I will not only post the poem, but I will also post the comments proceeding it.

Here goes...from my good friend, Steve Hight :)

Dear Cindy --

I have written an ode to your little car in the form of a triple limerick. I dare you to post it on your blog. Please note in the Copy window the "great cloud of witnesses" to this request.

Ode to Nellie

There once was a little green Ford.
On a neighborhood mailbox she scored.
Though called an Escape,
She sustained major scrapes --
Cell-phone texting had gotten her gored.

The own'r of the mailbox was nice,
Installed a new post in a trice.
But poor Nellie was sent
To "hospital of dents."
They'd fix her all up for a price.

Dear Nellie must surely feel new.
She's late' had repairs, not a few.
We hope she feels good
And hums 'neath her hood
So her owner won't be in a stew.



There you have it, folks. And I had to laugh! What a great little poem! Would that I were so talented. So yes, Nellie is home, and looking great! I must post a picture of her soon, as well as a picture of the rental car I had for a week. What? A rental car? You bet! It was an '08 Dodge Charger, metallic navy blue. Sweet car! It was an upgrade from the compact that my insurance would pay for, but Enterprise only had that car when I needed help! So what a fun week I've had driving that sporty car :) I kind of hated to return it, to be honest. But I'm also glad to have Nellie home. And I didn't have the rental long enough to name it, so that's probably a good thing.

Gotta run...thanks as always, for reading!

A Day of Stupidness...if that's a word!

Ok. You all know that I'm really a blond in a red-head's body, right? Well, if you didn't know that, I proved it yesterday. My day got off to a great start. I spent 60 minutes on the treadmill, which is my routine on the days I don't go to Curves. I was going to be at school on time, and my morning had been nice. About 2 blocks away from my house, I was texting a friend about a business related matter. I have always done quite well texting and driving, as I glance up/down frequently. But my road is hilly, and I was spacier than usual. I looked up just in time to see that I was going to mow down the neighbor's mailbox. I swerved, but there was nothing I could do. Unfortunately for Nellie, said mailbox was attached to a big woooden post. You can imagine that the outcome was not good! My passenger mirror is gone, there is a good-sized hole/gash where the antenna used to be. There are multiple dents and scratches, including the passenger window. My insurance company just called and the damages are estimated at a little over $2400. I just have a $500 deductible, which I will owe. But they will cover everything else, including the mailbox. However, the neighbor was so sweet about it. He has already fixed the box/post, and will not let me give him anything. He said if I wanted to do something to make a donation to the Volunteer Fire Dept, of which he is a member. So I plan on doing that. I wish I could tell you that I have learned my lesson about driving and texting, but I confess I texted again later that morning. But I am slowing it down, and I may stop texting while driving altogether. It is an expensive lesson to learn.

Other than my being stupid, school is going well. Beginning band is off to a good start, and I am actually enjoying it somewhat. I have ordered our Christmas program stuff, and hope to be able to start on it next week. So that's what is happening here. BTW, Indiana had a horrendous storm on Sunday, set off by Ike. We had 70-80 mile winds, and it was really nasty, looked like we could have tornados. Well, our house didn't sustain any damages, unless you count the fact that it blew the power pack on Dad's computer monitor. It was going to cost almost as much to fix it as to get a new monitor, so he picked the new monitor. Anyway, we were without power for several hours on Sunday, and ended up with David's family here for the night. They had PBJ's for lunch on Sunday, and didn't think they wanted another cold meal Sunday night. So our power was back on by then, so they came over and we had waffles, turkey bacon, eggs, and sausage. It was yummy!!! Which leads me to remember that I am hungry. So am going to close this little epistle early :)

Perplexed..

While driving through Bloomington this evening on an errand for the school, I passed a seedy nightclub that is known for adult entertainment. Their sign read as follows: "Wanted-more nice girls." Huh?!? Nice girls? Did they really mean nice girls as in ladies? Nah...probably not. Just thought it was weird enough to share. Says something about our society, I'm thinkin'.

Sharing an Indiana Sunset

Hi! I know it's shocking for me to post twice in one week, but sometimes I enjoy shocking people:) Just don't get too used to it! This will be short...at least I think it will be. One never knows for sure...

I went shopping in Bloomington this afternoon for dog food and music books. Quite a combo huh? I had to visit 3 different music stores to get all the books I needed for band and piano...whew! But everyone was very nice, and I ended up getting one book free for the school. They had forgotten to put 4 books on my invoice, so I called them and went back. They had redone the receipt, but only added 3 more books. When I called it to their attention, they said it was their mistake and wouldn't let me pay for it! So a small price break for SCCA...plus I got them set up for tax exempt status at that particular store. That will be a big help, as it's my favorite place to go for brass and wind instrument needs.

After a good dinner at the Outback Steak house with my parents, I did a couple more errands, and returned home to a beautiful sunset.



To be very honest, seeing a sunset like this one makes me feel wistful. It makes me wish "Mr. Right" were around to enjoy it with. But alas, no one was around to enjoy it with me, save my parents and Snickers.



So there wasn't anyone around to hold my hand, give me a hug, or whisper "sweet-nothings" in my ear, but I did get a li'l puppy-kiss on the chin from the world's sweetest little Yorkie! So that was of some comfort :) It's tempting to fall into the doldrums, but Snickers tries to cheer me up when he senses I am sad. And he does a pretty good job of it too!

So that's that. Nothing profound tonight. Just wanted to share a southern Indiana sunset with ya. Hope you enjoyed it!

First Day of School

Ok..technically the first day of school was last Monday, Aug. 18th. However, I'm just now getting around to posting about it:) Typical, I know. But I was kinda proud that it's only been a little over a week! Janae and Cameron started kindergarten, and they are loving it so far! Jared started 2nd grade and seems to be adjusting. He wasn't as excited as the other two. On the first day he said "It was boring. They just told us a bunch of rules." Ok. I agree with him, first days aren't always the best. But he seems fine now. Here are a couple of pics for your viewing pleasure:)




Are those not the cutest kids you ever saw? Well, I think they are:) In the top picture, Patrick decided to get in on the action, even though it will be 3 more years before he joins them. Since school dismissed early the first day, we took the kids to lunch at Asian Pearl. Yum!!

Anyway, school is definitely underway. I didn't have any music classes the first week, but I did listen to 39 choir auditions. That took what seemed to be an eternity, and I was ready to bite on something to steady my nerves by the time it was over :) I also spent some time putting things away, and shopping for a few last minute things. Below are a couple pics of the decor in my band room.





I don't normally consider myself a very creative person, so I was thankful for the Lord's help with decorating. I also had to decorate my general music room, but don't have any pictures of that. On the shelves, you may see some instruments. I had an old violin, flute, and clarinet that don't work and cost too much to repair. So I added them as decor, and some lovely little percussion toys. A little greenery and flowers, and we were good to go. I am excited about the new white board! Yeah!

Well, this week I have listened to band auditions, and started general music classes K-4th grade. The upper grades will start next week, and that will include 5th and 6th grade music, Jr. High/Sr. High Choir, Chime Choir, Beginning Band(may the Lord have mercy on my soul,) and Intermediate Band. The rest of my week will involve getting my piano students started, and preparing for band and choir. I will also have to make a trip to Bloomington to buy some essentials, such as timpani mallets and books for band. Our school just purchased a used set of timpani, and they seem to be in great shape! So that's exciting. I just need to get brushed up on how to use them :) I have never tried to start a beginning band before, so I would appreciate prayer. If my hair is totally gray by the end of the school year, you will understand why. Those of you who have listened to any beginning band will already understand :) Bless their hearts...we all have to start somewhere. I just hope my nerves can take it!

Well, that's about it on school for now. Just wanted to post once more about something I read in my devotions. I am plowing my way through a wonderful book by Beth Moore, "90 Days with Jesus the One and Only." The reason I say "plowing" is because it's taking me a lot longer than 90 days. But I'm also reading a companion book, and I don't get it read every day like I should. But it's a great book, and I highly recommend it! If you read my last post, you know that I struggle with an inferiority complex, etc. I think that I have so little to offer God, just a fragmented life. It puzzles me why He would even want to use me. But I read this in Beth's book. She was telling the story of the feeding of the 5,000. One of her points was as follows: " Christ can perform astounding wonders when we bring Him all we have. Matthew 14:17 records the disciples saying 'We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish.' Christ responded, 'Bring them here to me.' Beloved, I want you to hear something loud and clear:no matter what your "only" is, when you bring all of your "only" to Jesus, it's huge! When we bring Him everything we have, He multiplies it beyond our wildest imagination. On the other hand, we can surrender Him "some" of our lot, and it can dwindle to virtually nothing." I don't know about you, but that hits me right where I live. So many times I have offered some of what I have, desperately clinging to 1-2 pieces. I guess I think "He couldn't possibly want or use that part of me." But I know that He wants everything, and that when we give it to Him, He makes all the difference. That means giving Him not just talents, but also hopes and dreams. That's the hard part. I don't struggle to give Him my talents. I really don't. I figure that He gave them to me, so He should have them. But in reality, He also gave me my hopes and dreams. And He wants those, just as much as He wants my talents. While it can be scary to give those things to God, I also know that He is able to do so much more that I can even ask or imagine. God is not in Heaven just "waiting to lower the boom" on me...but sometimes that has been my attitude. I have been afraid that He won't fulfill my dreams, that my hopes will be dashed to pieces. But God isn't like that. If He witholds something from me, it is because He sees that it would not be in my best interest, or would not give Him the most glory. But He isn't just wanting to see how miserable He can make me. His plans for me are exciting, not something to be dreaded. So I'm choosing to trust Him with everything. How about you?

Well, I need to go for now. I'm celebrating with Steve tonight. My cousin is having a birthday on Thursday, so we're going out to eat to celebrate. I wish you much joy and peace!

Unusual meanderings

Well, it's been a few days since I posted, so thought I'd better get with it, lest I inadvertently make someone unhappy :) Not that I would mention names of course! Sometimes it just seems like I don't have alot to say...don't laugh! I know I can hold up my end of most conversations. That is besides the point. I just don't know how exciting my life is to read about, and I don't want to bore anyone. On the other hand, if you're bored, don't bother visiting my blogspot :p

It's not often that I post something profound, but I wanted to share a little of what I read in my devotional book yesterday morning. I am reading "This Day with the Master" by Dennis F. Kinlaw...an excellent read, I might add. Here is an excerpt of the reading for August 12th, entitled "Fear is Never the Last Word." "The words of Psalm 34 do not mean that whoever comes to Christ and lives for Him will have no fear, no trouble, and no need. Instead, the psalmist says that the person who trusts in God will find that fear is never the last word. Trouble is never the final answer. Need is never the ultimate reality. When the story is over, the fear will be conquered; God will have delivered. The trouble will be mastered, and God will have freed the believer. The needs in life will have been met, and God will have provided for every need. There would have been no impetus to write this song if the psalmist had never had any fear, any trouble, or any need. It is when you have been scared to death and God has brought you out of the trouble, that you can sing God's praise. When you are in a tight place and call out to Yahweh, who is your only hope, you are in a situation ripe for a miracle. When you have no way to pay your bills and God provides, then you walk away while singing His praises. The trouble itself turns our minds to Christ and gives Him the opportunity to show himself good and powerful in our lives."

Now, I don't know about you, but this spoke to me. To be honest, I have gone through some very anxious times this summer. Lots of uncertainty about the future, feelings of inadequacy about the coming school year, etc. I have always heard that it's darkest just before the dawn. I truly hope so. Sometimes I feel that I have so little to offer, and that if God doesn't intervene, I'm going to fall flat on my face. I've heard and read a lot about believing God this summer, both in messages and in books. It's not that I've struggled to believe God CAN do things, I have struggled to believe that He wants to do good things for ME. Maybe you don't struggle with an inferiority complex, but I do. For many years now, I have had feelings that "I'm not good enough. If I could just do________, or be ______, then maybe I would be good enough." It's hard for me to understand why God would love me. What I've come to discover is that His love is beyond my comprehension. He loves me because I am His creation, because I am His child. Maybe some of these insecurities stem from being single, I don't know. Those of you ladies who are married, you have had a man choose to love you, and to (hopefully) be willing to lay down his life for you if need be. I haven't had that experience, and sometimes it's like I told a cousin several years ago..." I feel like the one nobody wanted." Now, I know that sounds pitiful...but sometimes that does surface regardless of how pitiful it may sound. Those who love me most(my family,) didn't have much choice in the matter. They love me partly because I'm family. Don't get me wrong: I'm eternally grateful for a loving family! They are awesome. And I realize that you, my friends, love me too. But there's still something inside that says "Why? What do you see in me that would cause you to love me?" As I write this, I realize that I'm probably opening myself up for pot-shots...please be kind! And I'm really not searching for compliments and reassurances about why you love me. I'm just trying to be honest, okay? If I'm making you mad, call me or e-mail:) And I'm really not having a pity-party...just trying to explain some of the things I've especially struggled with this summer.

Anyway...wow, that was quite a paragraph. Got a little carried away as usual. As I was saying, this little devotional helped me yesterday. I am trying with everything in me to believe that God really does care about the minute details of MY life, and that He is working all things together for my good and His glory. I feel like I'm in a situation that is ripe for a miracle. I know that trust is a decision, just like love is. I have to consciously choose to trust God, no matter what the circumstances look like around me. Another statement I read recently was "Never doubt in the darkness what God has shown you in the light." It's easy for me to just ride my emotions, and yeah, I'm an emotional person. I'm a musician, okay? But I have to learn to take emotions out of the equation, and simply trust God because He IS. When I'm sad or moody, He has not changed. When I can't see the next step to take, He is holding out His hand, asking me to trust Him to guide me through the darkness. So I choose to trust Him with all the little details of my life, and that's the long and the short of it. If you are looking for someone to pray for, you can add me to your list:) I appreciate any prayers I can get.

Moving on from the profound, here's a little of what I've been up to the past few days. I have worked a couple extra shifts in cardiac rehab...was glad to pick up the hours as money has been a bit tight since the whole Nellie saga. I am extremely glad that tomorrow is payday! Yay!!!! Today, I went shopping in Bloomington with a credit card. Now that probably doesn't seem like a big deal to you, but it is to me. All of you fellow Dave Ramsey-ites, please don't hit me. I normally use a debit card or cash, but my cash is limited right now, and I have $20 something in my checking account until tomorrow. I would have waited to shop, but I need to decorate my music classroom tomorrow afternoon, to have it ready for the parent's tour on Friday. So I whipped out the handy-dandy credit card...no Dave Ramsey, I didn't cut them up. But I may just do that one of these days. I really only use them if I know I will have the money to pay them off each month. And the school will reimburse some of my expenses...so it should be okay. So tomorrow I have staff orientation in the morning, then will spend the afternoon getting ready for the kiddos.

Also, we celebrated my Mom's birthday yesterday. She wanted money this year, instead of gifts, so I had to tell her that she would have to wait until payday :) Fortunately, she was very understanding. We fixed a scrumptious dinner of roast chicken and dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, carrots that had been sweetened, cottage cheese, and home-made pickles. We finished up with cake and ice cream. The diet was shot yesterday, believe me. Thank God for Curves, and a fitness plan! I will be getting on the treadmill yet this evening, trust me. Today, I got a sandwich at Heavenly Ham, and I thought I was being pretty healthy. I looked up the nutritional information on their Turkey Salad when I got home, and was absolutely horrified! Where did they hide all those ridiculous calories anyway? It was just a sandwich! Delicious yes, but I won't be getting it anytime soon. So the treadmill is not an option for me today. I will be at Curves tomorrow. Trying to get some exercise every day except Sunday, instead of just Curves 3 times weekly. Below I am posting some pics from my Mom's birthday celebration. Oh, and I canned 7 more quarts of pickles yesterday, and believe me that's a job! An all-day job!








Mom had a very nice birthday, said it couldn't have been better. My brother and his family came over to help her celebrate. Diane couldn't get here because of work conflicts. We also met some of the family in Mitchell for lunch, so that was nice.

Well, it's getting to be close to supper time, so if I'm gonna get on that treadmill, I've got to get cracking! Again...those of you who are my friends, thank you so much for choosing to love me, to include me in your life! You will never know how grateful I am for each of you.

Okay..adios, lots of love, etc.....

Pennsylvania Vacation

Okay, folks. The AC is back on...hallelujah! So here I sit at the keyboard, ready to give you some vacation details. Oh and btw, it was a transformer that was blown on the AC, not the mother board. So after 3 days of being hot and sticky, I now have cool air:)And the transformer wasn't nearly as expensive as a mother board would have been. So that's a very good thing!

Hope I don't bore you with details, but here goes. On July 21st, I flew to Harrisburg, PA, via United Airlines. This was my second trip to fly by myself, so I felt that I was getting to be an old pro at it. My layover was in Chicago, an airport in which I've had some VERY unpleasant experiences. But this time everything went smoothly...I didn't even have to change terminals. And of course, Indianapolis was a breeze. My flight got in a bit early to Harrisburg, thereby surprising the friends who were to pick me up. But I waited patiently at the baggage claim until Mark and Elizabeth arrived. Fred, Elizabeth's husband, was unable to come get me, due to having to get up at 2am! And my flight wasn't scheduled until 9:48pm. So Mark was kind enough to come with Elizabeth so she wouldn't have to come alone to the Airport. It was so nice to see them! I hadn't seen Mark since April, and hadn't seen Fred and Elizabeth since December. After dropping Mark off at his car, Elizabeth and I had a little late-night snack at Taco Bell, then drove to her house. We then proceeded to talk for a good bit, and went to bed just before Fred got up for work.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, we didn't do much. We caught up on each other's lives, and a good deal of sleep. We also did some weeding in Elizabeth's garden, and got quite a bit done. So that was nice, and I really didn't mind working in the garden.

On Thursday, we went to Penns Creek, PA, where Fred was involved in a ministerial meeting. Elizabeth and I sat in on the morning service, ate lunch with Fred, then drove to Selinsgrove to the mall. Elizabeth and I go way back in the shopping department:) We started shopping together when we were both students at GBS, and the trend has just continued since then. Pretty much any time we're together, we find a mall somewhere. So I found a couple of good bargains at Bonton, and then we drove back to Penns Creek, ate supper with Fred, and sat in on the final business session. We then drove to Mark's parent's home, and visited with them until late. It was very enjoyable sitting on their front porch, just soaking in the peace of the beautiful countryside, and visiting with friends. I also got to taste some wonderful pickles that Mark's dad had made, and was inspired to make some of my own on my return to Indiana. Mark showed us a multitude of pictures he had taken, and that was very nice. Below is a picture of the sunset we enjoyed from their front porch. Beautiful!




On Friday, Mark rented a car, and picked me up to drive to Lancaster. Fred and Elizabeth had gone to her ultrasound appointment in Chambersburg, but then called and weren't far behind us on the road. So we pulled over and did some shopping on the way, and they met us for the drive to Lancaster area. We stopped at the Green Dragon, which is a gigantic flea market that is open on Fridays. It was very neat. If I had more time and money, I could have spent alot there. There was so much to see. It reminded me of the Covered Bridge Festival that they hold in Northwest Indiana every fall. We also stopped at a wonderful candy store, and purchased a small snack to fortify us for our drive:) Yum!!! I can't remember the name of the store right now, but it is definitely worth stopping at. It was quite warm that day, and we were very hungry. We arrived at Shady Maple Buffet at 3:15, definitely ready to eat. If you have never eaten there, you need to start planning your trip. And yes, I agree, you should be hungry when you go. But I will not be skipping breakfast, and then waiting all day to eat. Those of you who know me well, know that is NOT a good idea.lol.... Well, the food was delicious, and worth the wait. We also spent a good bit of time in the massive gift shop downstairs, but I again refrained from buying anything. We stopped at an outlet mall in Lancaster on the way home, and I did get a book there. But that's it...promise. A very fun and full day.

On Saturday, we met Mark at his apartment, and then drove to Harper's Ferry, West Virginia. Wow...what a beautiful place! It is such a neat place to visit. They had a James Madison impersonator there that day, and we got to hear him speak. They were also having special Civil War activities in the town, had some re-enactors there. So that was cool. Again, a very warm day, so we stopped mid-day for root beer floats. We were feeling a little wilted prior to that, but that seemed to revive us. I will post some pics of Harper's Ferry below. We got to tour several very old buildings, including Saint Peter's Catholic Church. After we were done at Harper's Ferry, we drove to Hagerstown, Maryland, and enjoyed a dinner of pizza buffet. We then drove on to Gettysburg, and went to Christ Church, where they were having a candlelight service. It included remembrances of a Civil War nurse, a wounded soldier, poems by Walt Whitman, and lots of Civil War music. It was great. Mark thought I might enjoy it, since I am a nurse. And he was very right! The church was used as a hospital during the battle of Gettysburg. I would like to go there again sometime. The people even served refreshments outside afterwards, cookies and rhubarb punch. It was very good. We then stopped at Friendly's for ice cream, and headed to wal-mart, then home.








So there you have just a few of the pictures from Harper's Ferry. The famous arsenal where John Brown was captured is the second picture down. And I think you can figure out which is the James Madison impersonator:)

On Sunday, I had the privilege of attending Fred and Elizabeth's church, and Mark came to join us. I didn't slack just because I was visiting. I played the organ, and sang a trio with Fred and Elizabeth. But I didn't mind..it was fun. After the service, we all ate dinner together...a very good dinner too, I might add. I was going to fix my famous "Canasta Cake," but we were out so late every night, that I just didn't have time. It takes a good 2 hours if you're not doing anything else. So we had strawberry shortcake instead, and it was very good. That evening, we went to Newville Bible Methodist, which was cooperating in a VBS with Fred's church. That was fun. I hadn't been to a VBS in forever! Afterwards, we visited and ate supper at Fred and Elizabeth's. Below you will find some pictures of the "Fearsome Four." Well, anyway, maybe we're not fearsome, but we did do alot together and had a blast doing it:) These folks have been gracious enough to consent to me using the pics on my blog. Thanks, guys!




It was hard to say goodbye, but on Monday, I flew back to Indianapolis. Sometimes I hate it that I live so far from most of my friends. My closest friends live in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Missouri, Colorado, etc. I do have some friends in Indiana, but now that Kristin and Mark B. have moved, I don't have anyone to pal around with that's not a relative. Not that there's anything wrong with my relatives:) I love them dearly, but sometimes it's nice to hang with folks that aren't related to ya. You know what I mean. Well, I had a long delay in Harrisburg, but that was okay. My flight out of Dulles, in Washington DC was quite a bit later. So I didn't miss a flight, and again everything went very smoothly. We got into some turbulence, actually came through some storm clouds on the way back into Indy, but overall, everything was very enjoyable. It was nice to see my family back in Indy, and we had a delicious dinner on the way home at Gray Brother's. And of course, Snickers was ecstatic when he saw me :)

So there you have it. Vacation is over, and I'm a little down about that. I'm a person that needs something to look forward to, some break in routine. I also thrive on being with my friends, and knowing that I probably won't see them for awhile is depressing. But God is helping me, and I am very grateful for the wonderful vacation I had. And school is starting again soon. So I will be ultra-busy once again. I am hoping to return to PA in December, to meet Fred and Elizabeth's new baby, which is due Dec. 8th. I will get to be "Auntie" again, and that's always happy! December just seems so far away right now. But I will get over my slump, and I WILL get excited about school starting. At least I think I will:) I will try! If you think about it, just say an extra prayer for me, okay? I would appreciate it very much.

Well, I hope I haven't bored you completely. Just wanted to blog about vacation while I still had the time. This evening, I did a little shopping, and talked to friends on the phone, and blogged. Tomorrow, I have piano lessons, and a meeting with the principle, not to mention prayer meeting. Thursday, I have a seminar to go to about cardiac and pulmonary rehab(fun, fun!) And Friday, I work as usual. However, we're planning a cousin's night for friday night, games, pizza, etc. So I do have something to look forward to for this weekend.

Well, my hand is going numb. Snickers is asleep in my lap with his head on my hand. This has made typing challenging. So I'm calling it a night. Love to all my friends!

Blogging excuse....a good one, too.

I was planning to post a vacation blog this evening, but things have run amuck. While doing the weedeating today, Dad accidently cut into the AC wires. He then tried to tape them up, apparently frying something in the process. My cousin, Michael, who has some background in AC, thinks the mother board may be shot. Yip yip yahoo. Anyway, it's very hot upstairs....so the vacation blog will have to wait a little longer. We have 4 fans, fortunately, and will be having a pajama party downstairs this evening :) It's WAY too hot to sleep upstairs. Those of you who know about my propensity to be cold all the time, will rejoice that for once, I'm NOT COLD!!!!! So there you have it. Another excuse, another delay.

'night.....

Yet another Nellie update...

Ok..just to keep the blogging police(you know who you are) at bay, here is another brief update. Remember the "chug" I mentioned in my last post? The one that Nellie had developed? Well, that chug was actually a coil that had gone bad. It has now been repaired to the tune of about $250! Yikes! In the past 2 months, I have put between $900 and $1000 into repairing Nellie!!!! That is not a happy thing, especially as she only has 61,000 miles on her. But I am very thankful that I had enough money in my savings account to pay for the repairs, and I didn't have to go into debt for it. Now hopefully the little bugger will run like she's supposed to for miles/years to come :)

As some of you are aware, I have been on vacation in Pennsylvania. However, this is not a blog about vacation, and I am up to my eyelids in laundry and unpacking. I hope to have a blog up about vacation soon...complete with pictures. There! You happy now? Sure hope so!

Later....

Nellie Update(provoked by Steve H....)

Once again, Steve Hight has put me under pressure to update my blog. So here goes. Thanks, Steve :p

This is to ease your mind about Nellie. Yes, she is home, and being well-cared for. I was able to get her back on Wednesday afternoon, 2 days later than originally planned. But she is home, and running fair. She seems to have developed a new little chug in her engine, but hopefully things are going to be okay.

Well, I know this is brief, but didn't want to leave you hanging any longer:) So far today, I have played the organ for a funeral, worked out at Curves, and now am headed out to mow the yard. I also plan to study for my ACLS exam that I have to take on Thursday. So there you have it: my day in a nutshell. BTW, it was Bro. Wayne Pierce's funeral that I played for. He attended my church, and he is already sorely missed. He was a true saint of God, and is no doubt singing praises around the throne right now. Around our church, Wayne was known as "The Candy Man." He always had candy in his pockets for the children, and was always sharing a joke, or giving someone something from his garden. He was always quick on his feet(at age 91) to shout "Glory, glory, glory," and to take a little trip around the church when he was blessed. There is an empty spot in our church, but Heaven is certainly a richer place today!

Autopsy report

Yep, faithful reader, I did receive the autopsy report on poor Nellie. If you did not read my previous post, Nellie is my SUV. I don't understand everything they told me, but will give it a whirl. First, Ford called and told me that my spark plugs were "foul." They were going to change them to the tune of $265 + tax, and I could possibly get my car back last night. NOT! So they change the plugs, and then realize that Nellie still won't start, has no intention of starting. So with further investigation, they found that the power module is out. They said there is like no communication going on in my vehicle, and it's completely not driveable. They said it's dumping too much gas, etc. The good news is that it is covered under the factory 80,000 mile warranty. I told the girl that I didn't buy the extra warranty(never do!) But apparently, Ford covers this problem anyway! Thank the Lord for large blessings! The bad news is that I probably won't get Nellie back until Monday, due to having to order from the vendor, and with the holiday thrown in. Fortunately, I am able to borrow my mom's Impala while mine is being overhauled. Her car needs work too, but it's gonna have to wait on Nellie to return home. Her brakes are funny...well, maybe NOT so funny, as the car acts like it's having a seizure when you try to brake :) Also, her windshield wipers are stuck in the up position...annoying but liveable. They do work if you turn them on and keep them running nonstop, but the minute you turn them off, up they go. It's been a great conversation starter :) So that's all I know right now. I think I'm glad I decided to fly to PA later this month. I figured it would be cheaper, but I am also a little leery of driving huge distances alone and maybe having car trouble.

Well, gotta get ready for church...see ya!

Awaiting autopsy

Okay...I'm not awaiting autopsy, Nellie is. Who is Nellie, you ask? That would be my car. My green '05 paid-off Ford Escape. I'm a little bitter, because I just had my 60,000 mile check-up to the tune of over $400. Just wondering if they missed something at our routine check-up, or if something just quit suddenly.

I worked days yesterday in oncology clinic, got off right on time at 4:30. Headed to the bank to cash a couple of checks. Car started like a dream, no problems. Got my money and heading for Bloomington to help Steve clean out his apartment. Little Nellie decided to give up the ghost while I was pulling out of the bank lot and back onto the road. No matter how hard I tried to start her, all I got was chug-chug-chug. Some kind man pushed me into an empty lot across the street. So I was no longer blocking the road, the bank drive, and in danger of being killed. Thank God for triple A! I called, and the wrecker was there within 10 minutes. Mom had come to get me, and I thought it was gonna be longer before the wrecker got there. So I sent her to the grocery store to get her few items, then she was coming back after me. Meanwhile, the wrecker gets there, gets Nellie loaded, and his job there is finished. He wanted to know if he should take me somewhere, was I safe there? I assured him I would be fine. So I unloaded my stuff onto the grass and waited for Mom. I felt a bit like a vagrant standing there on the curb across from the bank :)I was relieved to see her coming quickly. It was unfortunate that I didn't have some cardboard. I could've made a sign asking for money, since I was directly across from the bank! Turn my little misfortune into a money making venture.
So I took Mom back home, changed clothes, picked up Kim, and we headed for Bloomington. Picked up Steve and ate at the Texas Roadhouse. Yeah buddy! Good eats. And then we proceeded to clean like a house afire for the next 2.5 hours. The place looks great and should pass his landlady's expectations. He moved out last weekend, and she was going to charge so much for every little thing left uncleaned. So he shouldn't incur extra charges, other than the ones he already knows about. So all in all, it was a full day.

Now I sit and wait on the phone call that will reveal Nellie's fate. I surely hope it's something simple and relatively inexpensive. Whatever it is, I'm sure to have to move money out of my savings account and into checking. I doubt the approx. $40 bucks in my checking is going to cover it, and I don't get paid again until Thursday :) And so life goes on. Just wanted to give my faithful few readers a tiny tidbit to chew on :)

Later....

Yep, I'm still here....

Hello, hello. Now don't get your hopes up for a big newsy blog....I hate to say "I'm busy," but I AM!!!! This is merely to appease those of you who have gently reminded me that my blog is sadly lacking(you know who you are...lurkers included.) Therefore, it is with great joy that I make the following announcement: I am still in the land of the living! Yes, indeed, my friends, still alive and kickin'.

Now you may ask what could possibly keep a single person so busy? I'm glad you asked :) Right now, I am heavily saturated with wedding music, wedding music, and more wedding music. One of my bestest friends, Heidi, is getting married Saturday, and yours truly is playing for the wedding. So I went through the wildness of end of school activities...recital, graduation, awards night, grades, etc, to immediately immerse myself in wedding music. Hopefully, after Saturday, things will not be quite as crazy. Although I will have preparations to make for the coming school year. Sigh...it seems the busyness never ends. If you think of me, I would SO appreciate prayer for the wedding Saturday. I really want to do a good job, and help make Heidi's day extra-special. Thanks a bunch!

Oh...I might just do one catch- up thing. Some of you are aware that I attended a Booth Brothers concert in April. Wow!!!! That sums it up best, just Wow! If you get a chance to see them in person, do not delay in purchasing your ticket. It WILL be worth it, I promise! I could listen to them everyday...sometimes I do :) The music was lively, uplifting, but spiritual. God's presence settled down on the place in a beautiful way, and I felt conviction, encouragement, hope for the future, etc. I was moved to tears at one point, when Michael Booth was talking about trusting the very heart of God. I left inspired to live closer to God. Oh, and btw, I also got autographs from all 3 fellas :) That was very happy. The only downer was that I forgot my camera :( Anyway, if you haven't experienced the Booth Brothers, you should go to www.boothbrothers.com. And you should go there now....

G'night :)

Not exactly a princess...

Okay, people. This will NOT be the long update/newsletter that you have become accustomed to. No my friend, this is just a brief note to let you know about my evening. The newsy update must come at another time, as it is nearly 1am, and I need to arise around 6am! Yikes!!!!! Anyway...my Dad and my brother are sharing a roto-tiller, and hauling it back and forth between places. Cheaper that way. I decided that I wanted a garden this year, but am just not strong enough to till myself. I'm glad to help, I rake, break up clumps of dirt, hoe, etc., but I just can't push that tiller! So on Wednesday, I went to Dave's house, we loaded the tiller in his truck, and he came over and tilled for me! Bless the boy! I have the bestest brother in the entire world, and just don't even argue with me about that. You will not win. I finished planting around 9pm..what a day! So Dave is putting in his garden tomorrow, and needed the tiller back. He didn't have time to get it Wednesday, as he had to present an award in Mitchell at 7pm. So after our school awards night, he came over, and together we loaded it in the rain. Since it's nasty and sloppy tonight, we changed clothes prior to the loading process. So here is my outfit:a skirt out of the hamper that I mowed grass in earlier in the week(it is now covered in mud,) a shirt that has a spot on it and is now wet with rain water, my dad's old ball hat( to try to keep the rain out of my face....) Do you get the picture? No, I will NOT be posting a picture, but lets just say that I am a sight for sore eyes :) Driving my brother's big truck brings out the tomboy in me, I guess. Those of you who know that I have a bit of a prissy side to me should be laughing right now! The only thing that would've made it better is country music blaring. Instead, I had a little Karen Carpenter sing-along, since that's what was in his CD player! We keep having to switch vehicles,'cause we're finishing cleaning out my grandma's house in Indy tomorrow, and we need his truck for hauling.

Okay, if any of you need any fashion tips, just be sure and ask. And if you want to see my current get-up, make sure you come late on a rainy night, and ask me to help you load/haul heavy equipment :) Yeehawwwwww!!!!!! G'night :)

The wearer of many hats...

Okay. Here I am, at least briefly :) I have been gently reminded by several fellow bloggers/lurkers(you know who you are) that I am WAY behind on blogging. It's true. I'm guilty. So tonight I stayed home from prayer meeting to blog. There. You happy now? haha....just kidding about WHY I stayed home from church. My grandma had a procedure today, and was still pretty tipsy. Someone needed to stay home with her, and I was glad to do it.

This will be a blog sans pictures...sorry to all you folks who like the pictures! I just don't have the energy right now to download pictures off my camera, and then search for just the right one to satisfy you, my readers. But I did decide to post a brief update on life as I know it.

My sister, Diane, had her 4th surgery on 2/27, and seems to be doing well. The surgeon said he wouldn't know until early summer if it was going to heal okay. She now has 2 plates in her arm, as well as part synthetic/part donor bone grafting material. She has been going to Occupational Therapy for a couple of weeks, and is even driving again! Yay! She still has to be very careful, and is not allowed to lift anything heavier than a telephone receiver. That's pretty challenging when you have small children to deal with, hot meals to take out of the oven, etc. But she is managing well, and is in pretty good spirits. She has so many sets of exercises she has to perform daily, and wears a bone stimulator so many hours. You can sometimes see her walking around church with a small machine attached to her arm. I tell her she's very cool :) She also has a special made gadget(for lack of a better word) that is helping her learn to lift her hand up again, like to wave at people. She currently can't do that. So overall, things are good in that department. She stayed with us for 2 weeks, and it was nice to have her and the boys here.

As for me...well, I'm busy. I keep telling you people that! Honestly... :) Here is what my current schedule looks like. Sunday: Play for 2 services, accompany whoever may need to sing, including extra practice with them, etc. Monday: Work 8-12noon in Cardiac Rehab, then drive 25 miles to Shoals to teach 11 piano lessons. I am hoping to get off the am shift as soon as I'm completely done with my orientation in that department. Tuesday: teach band, junior high chimes, 5th and 6th grade, 3rd and 4th grade music, go to Curves, etc. Wednesday: teach high school chimes( I was grumpy with them today)and then teach 12 piano lessons( I have 2 students that flip-flop every other Wednesday, making my grand total each Wed 12). Then I have either prayer meeting or youth meeting that evening. On Thursday, I teach band, honor chimes, 1st grade, and 2nd grade music, and then one piano lesson, go to Curves, etc. On Friday, I work Cardiac Rehab 8-5:30pm, and then the family comes over for the evening. On Satuday, I get up earlier than I want in order to make it to Curves, go to the grocery store, shower my grandmother, set up her meds for the next week, and then try to get caught up on laundry, cleaning, etc. I also like this day to do something with friends. Yes, I am the wearer of many different hats. But I am enjoying life. I never dreamed that I would love teaching like I do, even though I was grouchy with HS chimes today. Well, seriously people, we are less than 1 month from the Recital. We meet once a week, and they were just playing around today. We had 2-3 people absent, so I filled on one part, and had to move a couple people to semi-cover the bases. What aggravated me was that not only could they not read music, they couldn't seem to count today. I had to stop them over and over, and make substitutions until I found someone who could get it right. Even a couple of the students commented today "Wow, people, where is the melody?" Well, I'll tell you where it wasn't...it wasn't being played. So I'm afraid they got more than they bargained for from this spinster school marm :) They took it well, and were playing better by the end of class. Tough love and all that stuff you know. But overall, the teaching is wonderful. And I enjoy the variety in my life. I am learning a new job, Cardiac Rehab, and it is going to work out really well for me. I will be working every Friday, which is a plus when you need a consistent paycheck :) So that was a real answer to prayer. It is fairly fast-paced, but not real stressful. Most of my patients are really nice, though there is an old geezer or two who enjoy hitting on me. If I can just learn to not let them get on my nerves, and handle them gracefully, I'll be okay. One guy was telling me that I was probably looking for a "sugar daddy" like him...uhhh...I think not. He's in his 80's and married. So pray for me that God will give me wisdom in that regard. I guess that's one difficult thing about being single. Sometimes you get some very unwelcome attention, and you can't exactly say " Bug off, I'm married." And of course the attention you would welcome, you seldom get. Go figure :) Anyway....overall, life is very good.

I have been having a great time with some friends/relatives. Steve, Mark B., Kristin, Randy, and I have been playing some Rook, and some of our games have lasted late into the night. Man it's fun, though! Even if some of the aforementioned are dreadful losers :) You know who you are. On Friday this week, several friends/family are going to a Booth Brothers concert! Yeah!!!! I can't wait. I am actually going to get off work early so we can head for the Indianapolis area. I'll have to let you know how it goes.

As for Snickers, he is cuter than ever. He is continuing to adjust to our home very well, and has learned to sit, lay down, stay, watch me, touch my hand, and we're currently working on "drop it." Also, when I put him to bed, he takes a treat from my hand, I say goodnight, and he goes into his crate. It's the cutest thing in the world, I promise! He goes for a little trim tomorrow, so I'll have to post more pictures soon. He's my little baby cuddle-bug! I'm going to miss him like crazy when we're gone for IHC next week, but my great aunt Marjorie is going to keep him for us. She's crazy about him too.

Well, in closing, the Lord is really working in my life, and in the lives of several of my family members. It's so good to have peace in my heart, knowing that I'm doing what He wants for this season of my life. Who knows what tomorrow will hold, but for right now, I'm right where He wants me. That is an awesome feeling, believe me! I'm slowly working my way through Beth Moore's Bible Study, "90 Days with Jesus, the One and Only." There is some great stuff in that book, and it's taking me alot longer than 90 days to get it done. But I am mining some wonderful truths from His word.

Well, my brother and family are here, so I gotta go. Want to tell them hello, and hug my babies. So until a later time....I bid you goodnight!

Change is in the wind...

Hi, folks. Sorry again about the long delay in communication. I've had a few changes take place in my life recently, so I am going to attempt to share some of them with you. And no, Bro. Hight, it doesn't have anything to do with Florida, though I wouldn't mind that right now! Last night, we had another ice storm, and more freezing rain, wintry mix today. I was supposed to work today in home care, but they called us off due to weather conditions. So I got to go back to bed and be lazy! Yay!

Okay...back to what I need to say. As of today, I am no longer a home care nurse. Today was supposed to be my last day. I will have to return stuff next week, due to the icy conditions today. No, I did not get fired, I quit. I found out on 1/31, that HHC was being sold off to a large corporation. We were already affiliated with the larger corporation due to a merger several years ago. But we would no longer be associated with the small hospital that I have been a part of for over 10 years now. Well, that did not set well with me. In addition to losing my seniority, and my foot in the door at the hospital, we would be going back to paper charting for 6 months, then returning to learn a new computer system. Well, that was all too much for this gal to handle, so after a week of prayer and thinking, I turned in a 2 week notice. There were other factors involved as well, but I think that's all that needs to be said right now. I will say that when I made my decision, a peace just washed over me, and I knew that it was going to be okay. I will be returning to the hospital, effective Monday 2/25, to work prn. There are pros and cons to working prn. One of the big cons for me is losing my health insurance. I am hoping to be able to make enough that I can afford some basic insurance. There seem to be more pros than cons however. I will be able to decide when I want to work, though my need for money will dictate that somewhat :) I will also be able to pick up more hours teaching at the school, which I am very excited about. The tentative plan is for me to teach 2 days per week in general music, etc, teach piano 2 days per week, and work 1-2 shifts at the hospital. I don't know exactly what areas I will be working in yet. Probably some ICU, house supervision, and possibly some cardiac rehab and outpatient surgery. I will be able to pick up more hours in the summer months, and on school vacations. I will appreciate prayer as I make the transition. I go for my computer training on Monday, and then will do some re-orientation later in the week.

On February 2nd, our church youth group attended a lock-in held in Shoals, Indiana. I got to go along as one of the leaders of the youth group. We had a great time, and got to get reacquainted with some old friends. Out of this, I had an answer to prayer which will help me financially. Several ladies approached me about teaching piano to their children. I originally thought that it wouldn't be possible, as my piano day in Bedford is totally full. But then I had an idea, and to be honest, I think God put it there. It came to me that there wasn't any reason why I couldn't travel to Shoals to teach one day a week if there was enough interest. Well, I later contacted a friend and then the pastor's wife. And they have 12 students for me! So every Monday afternoon/evening, I will spend in Shoals teaching piano! God is so good to take care of us!! I will continue my Bedford lessons on Wednesdays, and I think I will have 13 here for right now. Anyway, it will be a very nice supplementation to my income, and I will be able to help the folks in Shoals at the same time! Very happy. I believe I start there on March 3rd.

Well, I have had another very big change in my life. On Feb. 11th, we had to put our dog Winkie to sleep. We had prayed about it for quite some time, asking God to just take him in his sleep. Well, that didn't happen, and I was frustrated, and even a little angry about it.I kept saying "God, the Bible says you care about the sparrows. We really need you to answer prayer for this little dog." I didn't see how we would ever get through putting him down. We got Winkie when he was 3 months old, and he was nearly 15 and a half. He has been a part of our family, and was happy to be with us as much as possible. Well, that last weekend was very bad. He had been feeble for maybe 4-5 months, would sometimes get down and then couldn't get back up. The last weekend of his life, he was down more than he was up. He was starting to get sores on him from where he would try to get up, and had to be held up to go to the bathroom. Poor Mom was up with him about every hour through the night, and we knew it wasn't fair to him to let him continue like that. He had slept in Mom's room for years, and was really more her dog than mine, since I was at work a lot. Needless to say, it was very hard on our whole family. I was already crying when I called the vet to make the appointment. But the vet was very compassionate, and they let us stay with him the whole time, and also let us bring him home to be buried. Several times during that day, I prayed that Winkie wouldn't be afraid, and that he would go peacefully. And God answered that prayer! He was usually terrified of going to the vet, would start shaking on the way there, would bury his head in my chest during his exams, etc. He was NEVER calm that I can remember. But that day, he was super calm, no shaking, no anxiety. And it was over in seconds. He never did act the least bit upset, and Mom and I stayed with him, talking to him and stroking him. He went very peacefully. And I will say that God helped us so much that day. We had several family members and close friends praying for us. We brought him home, and buried him that evening when Dad got in from work. The ground was frozen, so I wasn't able to make too much of a dent in it without his help. But we were able to dig the grave together, and buried him with his 2 favorite toys. I know that sounds really sentimental, but I don't really care. If you must know, I just had to go get a Kleenex just writing about this! It was spitting snow and sleet by the time we got him buried, and poor Dad fell trying to cross back over the creekbed behind our house. He didn't see the patches of ice on that stone. Fortunately, he didn't break anything, but was plenty sore for a few days. Here is a picture of Winkie in happier days, Christmas 2006, when he sneaked under the tree and opened his present without our knowledge :)



After moping around for a few days, we realized just how empty our house seemed. We were looking for Winkie everywhere. Every time we got out of a chair, or came into the house, we expected to see him. So this past Saturday, Feb. 16th, we drove to Daleville, near Anderson, Indiana, and picked up a new Yorkie puppy! We've had him almost a week, and he is rotten already. He turned 3 months on 2/20, and weighs somewhere around 3 pounds. He is completely adorable, and is in fact, asleep in my lap right now. He has adapted very quickly, and wants to be with us constantly. I tried to put him down for a nap in his crate earlier, but since I wasn't in there with him, he cried until I thought he would get sick. He is very smart, and is already doing well with 3 commands. He also knows that when he hears the icemaker on the fridge door, he will probably get some small pieces of ice that fall. He runs to the fridge everytime somebody gets a drink :) His name is Snickers, after the candy bar. We haven't sent in his papers yet, but it will probably officially be Matlock's Little Sir Snickers :) We pondered his name for several days, and decided we liked that the best. Other choices were Jackson, after Thomas Jackson, and Little Sir Winston, after Winston Churchhill. But we just couldn't fathom calling him Winston or Winnie, so Snickers he became. I haven't been able to get great pics of him yet, as he runs at the camera every time he sees it. These are mostly taken looking down at him. Enjoy!







As you can see, he is a big hit with the kiddos! In fact, Jared told me Wednesday that he wished he could come to our house every day to see puppy :) We have to protect Snickers from them a little. They try to be gentle, but he is so tiny, and tires easily still. He is very playful, very affectionate, and we are all completely smitten! Even my father, who stopped at a pet store yesterday just to get him a chew bone. My brother-in-law says Snickers doesn't know how lucky he is :) I'm sure you will hear more about him later.

Another change for me is that in January, I joined Curves. I love it! I go 3 times per week to exercise, plus sometimes I use the treadmill here at home too. I got weighed and measured after 3 weeks, and I had lost 2 pounds of body fat, and 3.25 inches! Yay for me! I hope to have more positive things to report in that department soon.

Well, I should go for now. Thanks to those of you who have been praying for me! My brothers family should be here soon, to celebrate our weekly "We're happy it's Friday" night :) My sister and her family are staying in this weekend, as they hope to avoid the flu that seems to be going around. Diane is scheduled for surgery on Wednesday, to hopefully finally correct that arm. Please continue to remember her in your prayers.

Have a great weekend!